Many of us have goals we work hard to complete so we can mark them off our list each day; career minded people have different goals than a stay at home mom, a student has different goals each day than a retiree.

Some people aren’t just interested in fishing their goals for the day; they’re on a mission!

The Blues Brothers coined the phrase “We’re on a mission from God!” which has widely been accepted as a phrase people use when they are filled with incredible determination to see something accomplished, regardless of what it may take.

Are you on a mission in your life? What is driving you? What is the singularly most important goal in your life?

I only ask because when Jesus came to earth he came, as did the Blues Brothers, on a mission from God. In fact, he expresses in chapter six of the Gospel of John that while he was on earth he had no intention fulfilling his own desires or wishes, only the will of the Father.

Logic demands that we consider Jesus’ words, “a servant ism’t greater than his Master” (John 15:20) therefore if our Master determined in His heart to follow the will of His Father, shouldn’t we determine to follow in His steps and make His mission our mission?

Our mission and Jesus’ mission should look identical!

If Jesus was emphatic about us being a people who loved others….

I’m just suggesting that hate shouldn’t even have a seat in our mental dining table. If Jesus blatantly told us to make disciples of everyone we meet, I’m thinking that we should be much more prepared to love people, build a relationship with them and lead them to Jesus.

What might a goal list look like that makes Jesus’ mission OUR mission? Oddly normal, just your motivation for your actions will have changed.

Go to the work (get there early so I can build relationships)

Grab dinner at a fast food (Go inside so I can have a chance to chat with someone)

call Bob (develop that friendship – maybe lead him to Jesus)

Finish “Gotham” (so I can have something fun to break the ice with Larry who loves Gotham)

Our seemingly mundane and terribly normal activities are suddenly transformed into spectacular spiritual service when it is motivated out of love for Jesus and love for the people for whom He died; when His mission becomes our mission life explodes with purpose we’ve never experienced!

I like to start my mornings with a cup of coffee and some quiet so that I can think through my day. It’s good to think ahead and plan for anything that might be a conflict in schedules or difficult meeting so that I can prepare my mind for come what may.

Though I do my best to plan for events, meetings, and chores, often times I’m caught off guard by the attitudes and emotions other people convey in their day-to-day activities. It’s in these times that I can be derailed from what I was trying to accomplish.

So if I don’t prepare my mind for the jerk who cuts people off on the road or the rude receptionist at the office, I’m certainly setting myself up for failure! The reality is that each day has its own share of troubles and grief – even Jesus said so! – therefore it’s foolish for me to not assume that tomorrow I will have opportunities to lose my cool.

It’s not like I’ve had a tremendous track record for keeping my composure under stress or maintaining a great attitude when dealing with frustrating people when I haven’t planned ahead, nor have I done well when temptation rears its head and I didn’t plan for it. In fact, I would estimate my performance pretty poorly!

Knowing this is the case, why wouldn’t I want to prepare my heart and my mind for what’s coming ahead. Every fighter, every athlete, every speaker, prepare’s their mind for what’s coming ahead; in the moment they exercise great self-control because they have prepared specifically for this moment!

Can you imagine how much easier our days would be if we would assume that someone is going to behave poorly, someone is going to say something rudely or someone is going to push your personal or professional boundaries?

This wouldn’t simply make our days easier, it would set us up to be ready to show the LOVE of Christ to people who, under normal circumstances, we may have written off because they frustrated us, disappointed us, or rejected us.

Take some time today to prepare your mind so that you can exercise some amazing self-control, share the love of Jesus, and find yourself walking in victory instead of regret!